Abstract

MedWire News: Long-term monotherapy with the long-acting beta-2 agonist (LABA) salmeterol is associated with an increased risk for hospitalization in patients with asthma, whereas its long term use in combination with an inhaled corticosteroid is not, results from a US study suggest.

Writing in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Carlos Camargo (Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts) and team explain: “The safety of inhaled LABAs in the treatment of chronic asthma remains controversial and has not been evaluated in emergency department (ED) patients with acute asthma.”

In total, 489 (22%) patients required hospitalization after examination in the ED.

After accounting for factors such as smoking, age, gender, and previous hospitalizations, the researchers found that patients in group B were 2.2 times more likely to be hospitalized than those in group A (reference group).

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In contrast, patients in groups C and D were no more likely to be hospitalized than those in group A, at respective odds ratios of 1.1 and 1.2.

Camargo and team conclude: “Among ED patients with acute asthma, those undergoing salmeterol monotherapy had an increased risk of hospitalization; however, this risk was not seen among patients undergoing combination ICS-salmeterol therapy.”